Democrat Roy Cooper flips North Carolina Senate seat
Democrat Roy Cooper has defeated President Trump's handpicked candidate, Michael Whatley, flipping one of North Carolina's two GOP-held U.S. Senate seats. Why it matters : Cooper, the popular two-term governor, delivered Democrats one of their best shots at flipping a Republican-held Senate seat. Even in a state that voted all three times for Trump, Cooper has never lost an election. The big…
Democrat Roy Cooper has won the North Carolina Senate seat from the previously Republican-held position, defeating the candidate selected by President Trump, Michael Whatley. This victory marks a significant win for Democrats, as it is one of the few instances they have managed to flip a Republican-held Senate seat. North Carolina, a state that voted for Trump in three consecutive elections, has never witnessed a Democratic governor losing an election.
The race initially appeared to be a close contest with substantial financial commitments. However, Cooper steadily increased his polling lead throughout the campaign season. His strong name recognition played a crucial role in his success, as Whatley, a lawyer who previously served as the Republican National Committee chair, had never run for office before.
As Whatley's enthusiasm diminished, GOP-aligned super PACs discontinued their advertisements and shifted their resources towards more promising states. President Trump himself campaigned for Whatley in North Carolina.
Cooper will succeed Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who opted not to run for re-election following a disagreement with Trump over the controversial "big, beautiful bill" and the subsequent Medicaid cuts. Trump had even considered supporting a primary challenger against Tillis. During his campaign, Cooper emphasized affordability, criticizing Republicans for rising gas prices and linking GOP policies to inflation.
In contrast, Whatley focused on executing the Trump agenda, despite the president's historically low approval ratings. Whatley tried to portray Cooper as a "soft-on-crime candidate" and continued a debunked claim that Cooper was responsible for releasing Decarlos Brown Jr., a man accused of stabbing and killing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte light rail.
Trump claimed that North Carolina had become one of the most violent states under Democratic leadership while campaigning for Whatley.
Cooper will assume office in January, becoming the first Democrat to represent North Carolina in the Senate in over a decade.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
